In Mudu, 12km/7 miles from Suzhou, rises the 82m/269ft high Mountain of the Wonderful Rocks. It is known for its unusual and bizarre rock scenery.
According to legend Fu Chai the king 9f the Wu empire lived here over two thousand years ago with his favourite concubine Xi Shi, who was said to be the most beautiful Chinese woman of all time. Even poets such as Li Bai and Bai Juyi who lived under Tang rule (618-907) believed in the legend and wrote exquisite verse about this mountain.
The Buddhist Lingyan Si Temple on the Mountain ofthe Wonderful Rocks was rebuilt in the years between 1919 and 1932.
The Duobao Ta Pagoda belonging to the Lingyan Si Temple dates from the 12th c. and was restored in 1977.
